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Audiology Information Series: Nothing Smaller Than Your Elbow, Please

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Audiology Information Series: Nothing Smaller Than Your Elbow, Please Nothing Smaller Than AUDIOLOGY Your Elbow, Please Information Series Pamela Mason, MEd, CCC-A, Director of Audiology Professional Practices at the ASHA National Office Earwax: We all have it. We want it gone. You can hurt your hearing and ear by trying to Most audiologists are asked about earwax. What is it? Why is it get rid of your earwax at home. sticky? Why do I make so much? How can I get rid of it? Most people do not know how to safely take out their earwax. You may use tooth picks, hair pins, or Q-tips to try and clean Earwax is good for your ears. your ears. This may not be safe. You can puncture the eardrum or push the wax even further into the ear. Earwax then Earwax keeps your ears clean. becomes impacted up close to the eardrum. The wax will get Earwax, or cerumen, traps dust and dirt, like dried shampoo dry like a hard ball. This can cause a temporary hearing loss or and shaving cream and sometimes even a bug. This is held dizziness. together by oil and wax comes from glands living in your ear canal. The wax also protects and can stop bad bacteria from An audiologist can help you take out your growing in the ear. And you thought it was just a pain! earwax. An audiologist is the professional who focuses on preventing Earwax isn’t always sticky. and evaluating hearing and balance disorders as well as Earwax can look different for different people. It can be wet providing audiologic treatment, including hearing aids. (honey-colored and sticky) or dry (grayish and flaky). Wet or Audiologists will advise you on how to prepare for a dry, your earwax depends on where your family came from. professional ear cleaning. They often provide earwax removal. Families from Europe or Africa have wet wax. Dry and flaky They can even schedule a few appointments if you want to keep wax is found in families from northeastern Asia. your ears clean. Contact an audiologist if you are dizzy or have any problems hearing... You can have too much earwax. You may have heard,…put nothing smaller than your elbow in Some medications, stress, and exercise will cause your body to your ear and let Mother Nature do her work. make too much earwax. Also, your body will make more wax as you get older. For many people, earwax comes out by itself. Sometimes twists, turns, or small ear canals can trap wax. It cannot easily come out. Wax can become trapped in your ear if, for example, you wear in-ear phones that block the way out For more information about hearing loss, hearing aids, making it hard to hear and possibly uncomfortable. or referral to an ASHA-certified audiologist, contact: NOTES: 2200 Research Boulevard Rockville, MD 20850 800-638-8255 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.asha.org Compliments of American Speech-Language-Hearing Association 2200 Research Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20850 • 800-638-8255 For more information and to view the entire Audiology Information Series library, scan with your mobile device. Audiology Information Series © ASHA 2015 10802.
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    Microbiology Research 2020; volume 11:8565 Assessment of antimicrobial nation of fatty acid). Another gland i.e. apoc- activity of cerumen (earwax) rine sweat glands release secretion that com- Correspondence: Iffat Naz, Department of bines with the sebum to form cerumen. It Biology, Scientific Unit, Deanship of and antibiotics against picks up discarded cells, ear follicles and Educational Services, Qassim University, pathogenic bacteria isolated may contain dust or other debris, but the Buraidah, 51452, Qassim, Kingdom of Saudi from ear pus samples resulting compound forms earwax or ceru- Arabia (KSA). men.6 Tel.: +966 533897891 E-mail: [email protected] ; There are two different types of geneti- [email protected] Iffat Naz cally determined earwax such as wet type Department of Biology, Scientific Unit, and dry type. The dry type is most common Key words: Ear pus samples; Pathogenic bac- Deanship of Educational Services, in Asians and Native Americans and has a teria; Antibiotics; Cerumen; Antibacterial Qassim University, Buraidah, Qassim, grey brownish colour while the wet type can potency. Kingdom of Saudi Arabia be found in Caucasians and Africians and has a brown or dark colour.7 About 30-50% of Acknowledgements: The author would like to South Asians, Central Asians and Pacific thanks Mr. Jamil & Miss. Javeria (M. Phil islanders have the dry type of cerumen. Scholars), for assisting in collection of ear pus Abstract Cerumen type has been used by anthropolo- samples from different hospitals of Peshawar, gist to track human migratory patterns, such KP, Pakistan. She is also grateful to Dr. Abdul The present study is focused on the Rehman for providing laboratory facilities, at as those of Eskimas.8 Further, the study of assessment of the antimicrobial activity of Department of Microbiology, Abasyn cerumen and antibiotics against bacteria earwax has shown controversy, as some University Peshawar, KP, Pakistan.
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